Drive for forge hammers



April 17, 1951 w, owL -r 2,549,613

DRIVE FOR FORGE HAMMERS Filed Sept. 7, 1946 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR,

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April 17, 1951 T. w. HOWLETT 2,549,604

DRIVE FOR FORGE HAMMERS Filed Sept. 7, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 JNVENTOR Tia/274$ W fl w/82 i,

iTT V-i Patented Apr. 17 1951 DRIVE FOR FORGE HAMMERS Thomas W. Howlett, Detroit, Mich, assignor to Letts Drop Forge, Inc., Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application September 7, 1946, Serial No. 695,434

This invention relates broadly to forge hammers and more particularly to board drop hammers.

In the past, the driving motors of conventional board drop hammers, which must be mounted so that the driving belts are taut at all times in order to prevent excessive slippage and consequential faulty operation of the hammer, frequently have been damaged. by Shocks which occur during operation of the machine. Tremendous vibrations or tremors pass through the frame of the hammer when the ram strikes the work, and, when the present, conventional mountings for the motors are used, these shocks are transmitted with sufiicient violence to crack the motor housings. Manifestly, considerable internal damage results and the housings must be welded or th: erwise repaired at frequent intervals.

7 An important object .of the present invention is to providea novel mounting for the driving motors of forge hammers and the like which dampens shocks transmitted through the frame of the machine sufiiciently so that damage to the motor does not occur.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mounting of the above-mentioned character which is automatically operative to maintain the driving belts from the motors under substantially equal tensions at all times during operation of the machine.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a mounting of the above-mentioned char- 23 Claims. (Cl. 74216.5)

are shown on a conventional board drop hammer. The latter comprises ananvil Ill which supports an anvil cap l2. Mounted on anvil ID at opposite sides of the anvil cap l2 are upright frames M which guide the ram It for vertical movement against the cap. The usual mechanism is provided for operating ram 56, including a board it, which board extends upwardly I from the ram between laterally spaced heads ,2!) and head caps 22 and is actuated by the usual rolls (not shown) on a pair of pulley shafts 24, As best shown inFig. l, the two pulley shafts 2. are arranged in horizontally aligned but laterale- 1y spaced relation; As shown in Fig. 3; these shafts 24 project at opposite sides of the ma 2S, and each motor carries a driving pulley 3B acter that can be readily adapted to forge hamcation and wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view showing a motor mounting and driven pulleys embodying the invention on a conventional board drop ham- :mer,

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional View taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1, I

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of the hammer, and

Fig. ,4 is a fragmentary, vertical sectional view taken on the line 44.of Fig. 1.

As suggested, the motor mounting and pulley construction embodying the instant invention wh h i ope ive y c nne ted to a re pec ive driven pulley by endless belts 32.

According to the present invention the motors 28 are mounted on a suitable supporting platform 33 which is arranged horizontally above the machine between driven pulleys 26. This platform .33 preferably comprises a welded frame-.- work and has the plan shape shown in Fig. 2. It will be observed that the platform here shown by way of illustration comprises a pair of laterally spaced longitudinal channel members 35 which are held in fixed spaced relation b trans.- verse channel members 36, and these channels are suitably reinforced by corner braces All. The longitudinal channel members 34! extend in opposite direction beyond transverse members 36 and the projecting portions thereof carry mounting plates 2 for the motors 28. As best shown in Fig. 3, the motors 28 are arranged with driving pulleys 36 extending laterally of the platform in opposite directions and the motor housings are solidly fastened to respective plates 52 by bolts M and nuts M5. 7 In conventional board drop hammers the heads 20 and head caps 22 .are provided at opposite According to the present invention theplate form .33 is maintained in free floating condition y a sprin suspen ion system which pr vents destructive shocks from being transmitted to the motor housings and also permits the platform to move during operation of the hammer so as automatically to maintain the endless belts from the motors uniformly taut. This suspension system comprises four rodlike members 56 and a pair of compression springs 58 and 60 on each rod. Members 56 are fastened to and depend from the platform Furthermore, members 56 are arranged to extend through and are slidable in the four sets of openings 52 and 54 which normally receive the conventional head-to-cap bolts hereinabove referred to. Springs 58 are confined on members 55 between platform 33 and the extensions 50, and springs 60 are confined on members 53 between stops on the lower ends of the members and the extension 48. The stops preferably comprise washers 62 and nuts 64 (Figs. 1 and 3) so that the latter can be tightened or loosened to regulate tension on the springs.

From the foregoing it will be readily apparent that the four springs 58 support the entire weight of the platform 33 and motors 28 and that the platform is free floating. Springs 58 resist downward movement and springs 68 resist upward movement of platform 33 from its normal position; however, the latter is free to move in either direction against the action of the springs. This arrangement has several advantages over conventional mountings. Shocks which result during operation of the hammer are transmitted to the motors through the double-action spring suspension which dampcns the force of the shocks sufiiciently so that no damage results to the motor housings. Another advantage obtained by the double-action spring-suspension system is that platform 33 is free to rock about a line intermediate the motors to compensate automatically any tendency for one set of belts 32 to tighten at the expense of the other. Since the motor shafts extend laterally of platform 33 the ends of the latter may not be uniformly depressed but the desired action of depressing one end of the platform and simultaneously raising the other end will be obtained none the less. Moreover, the action is due to the provision of springs both above and below the platform. Experience has shown that the same or an analogous action is not obtained by a single set of springs either above or below the platform. This action can best be seen by reference to Fig. 2. By reason of the fact that motors 28 are mounted on opposite sides of and above the driven pulleys 26, any tendency for one set of belts to tighten and overload its motor obviously will react to depress the end of the platform supporting such motor. Manifestly, the platform is depressed against the resilient action of springs 58 which support the mentioned end thereof and the opposite end of the platform is raised against the resilient action of springs 60 disposed thereabove. The resultant effect is to equalize tension on the two sets of belts and to prevent overloading or excessive slippage of the motors. Furthermore, each set of Springs dampens the action of the other to prevent quick or violent movements of the platform.

Thus, by mounting platformfiS so that'it is free to rock about a horizontal axis and so that it can move either upwardly or downwardly against resilient spring action, it is possible not onlyto avoid transmission of destructive shock impulses to the motor housings,'but also to maintain substantially equal tension on the two sets of belts 32. As suggested, the latter feature is particularly significant, since it prevents overloading of the motors or excessive slippage between belts 32 and pulleys 26, 30, either of which 4 contingencies results in faulty operation of the hammer.

Although the driven pulleys 26 can be formed in any desired or conventional manner, they preferably are formed as shown in Fig. 4. These pulleys are identical in construction and a detailed description of but one therefore will be given. According to the present invention the pulley has a wooden body portion which includes a radial web 66, a peripheral annular flange 68, and a central hub 10. Hub 10 has a tapered opening 12 which fits snugly over a correspondingly tapered metal cone 14. The latter is keyed or otherwise rotatably fastened on shaft 26, and clamping plates T6 are provided for drawing the hub l0 and cone M solidly together to prevent slippage therebetween. These clamping plates are retained by an annular series of bolts 18 and nuts 83. The outer flange portion 68 has a flat peripheral surface 82 and the belts 32 preferably are in the form of conventional C belts, as shown in Fig. 4. Properly balanced weights 84 are bolted or otherwise fastened at opposite sides of the web 66 to give flywheel effect to the pulley. The amount of added weight required for this purpose obviously will vary according to the exigencies of the particular situation, but a pair of two-hundred-fifty pound weights on each pulley has been found satisfactory for most purposes.

The wooden body of driven pulley 26 imparts a desirable shock-insulating effect which also tends to prevent shock tremors or vibrations in the frame of the machine from being transmitted to the motors 28. There is a marked difference in this connection between wooden and conventional metal pulleys. The wooden body of the pulley is greatly strengthened and reinforced by mounting the Weights 84 directly thereon, and the flywheel which usually is provided in addition to the pulle is entirely eliminated.

t is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be 7 taken as a. preferred example of the same and that various changes in the size, shape, and arrangement of parts can be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

1. In combination with a forge hammer of the type having a pair of driven pulleys at opposite sides thereof, a platform; motors equipped with drive pulleys and mounted on said platform; endless belts connecting the drive and driven pulleys; and means providing a free-floating mounting for the platform adapted to relieve the motors of shock which occurs during operation of the hammer and to equalize automatically tensions in said belts, said mounting including a spring suspension wherein certain springs are arranged to urge the platform in a direction to tautenthe endless belts and other of said springs are arranged to resist movement of the platform in the opposite direction, said springs collectively positioning the platform to maintain the belts normally taut and automatically operative to maintain the tensions of the belts substantially equal.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein the platform is disposed horizontally above the hammer, and the mounting includes rodlike elements carried by and depending from the platform; bearings slidably supporting said rodlike elements; stops on the lower ends of said rodlike elements; springs confined between the I bearings and said platform; and springs confined between the stops and said bearings.

3. The combination asset forth, in claim 1 wherein the forge hammer is the type which includes heads and head caps for supporting the pulley shafts, said heads and head caps adapted to be fastened together by the usual head-to-cap bolts; wherein the mounting includes vertical rodlike elements which take the place of said head-to-cap bolts, said elements supported by the heads and head caps for-vertical sliding movement and having upwardly and downwardly projecting portions, said upwardly projecting portions fastened to the platform; and wherein the springs of said spring suspension coact with the projecting portions of the bolts-to position'the platform and control its movement during operation of the hammer.

4. In combination with a forge hammer of the type having a pair of driven pulleys, aplatform; a double-acting spring suspension for the plat form, said suspension including springs arranged in spaced groups disposedto resist movementof the platform in any direction perpendicular to its plane and yieldable to permit tilting of said platform; prime movers equipped with drive pulleys mounted on the platform laterally and at opposite sides of said driven pulleys; and endless belts connecting said drive and driven pulleys, the parts so constructed and arranged that unequal tensioning of the belts is automtically compensated by tilting of the platform against the action of said springs.

5. In combination with a forge hammer of the type having a pair of driven pulleys at opposite sides thereof, a platform; means including a double-acting spring suspension providing a freefioating mounting for the platform, said suspension including springs disposed to resist movement of the platform in any direction perpendicular to its plane but permitting the platform to rock about a horizontal axis; high slip motors mounted on the platform laterally and at opposite sides of said driven pulleys ;'drive pulleys on said motors; and endless belts connecting said drive and driven pulleys, the parts so constructed and arranged that unequal tensioning of said belts due to operation of the hammer automaticallyrocks the platform against the action of said springs to equalize said tensions.

6. In combination with a forge hammer of the type having a pair of driven pulleys at opposite sides thereof, a motor platform disposed between said pulleys; motors mounted on said platform; drive pulleys on said motors; endless belts'connecting said drive and driven pulleys; and a spring suspension for the platform, certain springs in said suspension urging the platform in a direction to tauten the endless belts and other of said springs yieldingly resisting movement of the platform in the opposite direction, said springs selectively providing a free-floating support for the platform and holding the endless belts normally and a plurality of spring means controlling the movement of said platform, certain of said spring means acting against the platform in one direction to tauten said endless belts and other of said springs acting against the platform in a counterdirection to dampen the action of said first springs. r

'8. In combination with a forge hammer of the type having a pair of driven pulleys on opposite sides thereof, a platform mounted to rock about an axis intermediate its ends; motors equipped with drive pulleys and mounted on the platform at opposite sides of said driven pulleys; endless belts connecting said drive and driven pulleys; and spring means acting against said platform to control rocking movement thereof, said parts so constructed and arranged that the springs normally position the platform to impose substantially equal tensions on said endless belts and whereby any tendency forone belt to tighten at the expense of the other during operation of the hammer is automatically compensated by rocking of said platform.

9. In combination with a forge hammer of the type having a pair of driven pulleys, a platform mounted to rock about an axis intermediate its ends; motors equipped with drive pulleys and mounted on the platform at opposite sides of said axis; drive means connecting each of said drive pulleys to a respective driven pulley; and spring means acting against said platform to control rocking movement thereof, said parts so constructed and arranged that the springs normally position the platform to impose substantially. equal tensions on said drive means and whereby any tendencyfor unequal tensions to develop in said drive means is compensated automatically by rocking of said platform.

10. In combination with a board drop hammer, mechanism including driven pulleys for operating the board; weights fastened on the pulleys for flywheel effect; a free floating platform disposed above the hammer and between said driven pulleys; motors equipped with drive pulleys and mounted on said platform at opposite sides of said driven pulleys; endless belts connecting said drive and driven pulleys; and a spring suspension for the platform, said suspension including groups taut but permitting said platform to tilt from its 7 normal position in any direction perpendicular to its plane whenever unequal tensioning of the belt occurs during operation of the hammer whereby automatically to equalize such tensions.

"7. In combination with a forge hammer of the type having a pair of driven pulleys at opposite sides thereof, a platform mounted for tilting movement about a line parallel to the axes of' of counteracting springs which normally position the platform to hold said endless belts taut and which control movement of the platform during operation of the hammer to maintain substantially equal tensions on said belts.

11. The combination with aforge hammer of the type having a pair of drive elements one on each of opposite sides thereof, a platform mounted for tilting movement on said forge hammer, a pair of motors on said platform, and driving means for interconnecting the associated motor and a drive element, whereby a portion of an overload on one driving means is shifted to the other driving means by the tilting of said platform.

12. The combination with a forge hammer of the type having a pair of driving wheels thereon, a platform mounted for tilting movement on said hammer, a pair of motors on said platform, and apair of driving means, each interconnecting a motorand drivingwheel, whereby a portion of an overload on one driving means is Shifted to the other driving means to balance the load condition by the tilting of said platform.

13. The combination with a forge hammer of the type having a pair of driving wheels thereon, a platform mounted for tilting movement on said,

hammer, a pair of motors on said platform, a pair of driving means, each interconnecting a motor and driving wheel, whereby a portion of an overload on one driving means is shifted to the otherdrive means to balance the load condition by the tilting of said platform, and a Weight on at least one of said wheels for producing a flywheel effect thereto.

1%. The combination with a forge hammer of a type having a frame and driving wheels one on each of opposite sides of said frame in out-ofaligned relation to each other, a platform on the top of said frame supporting a pair of motors, each motor having a pulley aligned with a driving wheel on its respective side of said frame, springs on the frame on which said platform rests, and endless belts for driving said driving wheels from said pulleys whereby when an overload occurs to one motor from its driving Wheel, said platform may tilt upon the compression of certain of the springs to thereby relieve said motor of said overload.

15. The combination with a forge hammer of a type having a frame and a pair of drive wheels one on each of opposite sides of said frame, platform means mounted for tilting movement on said frame, spring means acting both upwardly and downwardly on said platform means, a pair of motors mounted on said platform means, a pulley on each said motor, said pulleys projecting in opposite directions to be aligned with an adjacent driving wheel, and endless belts for interconnecting the associated pulley and drive wheel whereby said platform means may tilt upwardly or downwardly under the influence of the load condition imposed thereon by the driving means and the shock attending the operation of the hammer.

- 16. The combination with a forge hammer of the type having a frame and driving wheels one oneach of opposite sides of said frame in outof-aligned relation to each other, a platform on the top of said frame supporting motor drive means having pulley aligned respectively with said driving wheels, springs on the frame on which said platform rests, and endless belts for driving said driving wheels from said pulleys whereby when an overload occurs from one driving wheel said platform may tilt upon the compression of certain of the springs to thereby relieve said motor drive means of said overload.

17. The combination with a forging hammer of the type having a frame and having Wheels one on each of opposite sides of said frame in out-of-aligned relationship to each other, a pair of motors, tiltable support means at the top of said hammer for said motors, springs secured to said support means in a manner to permit the tilting thereof, and endless belts connecting said motors tosaid wheels whereby said wheels are individually driven.

18. The combination with a forging hammer of the type having a frame and having wheels one on each of opposite sides of said frame in outof-aligned relationship to each other, a, pair of motors, tiltable support means at the top of said hammer for said motors, springs secured to said support means in a manner to permit the tilting thereof, endless belts connecting said motors to said wheels whereby said wheels are individually driven, and weights added to said wheels for producing a flywheel effect.

19. The combination with a forging hammer of the type having a frame and having wheels one on each of opposite sides of said frame in out-ofaligned relationship to each other, a pair of motors, tiltable support means at the top of said hammer for said motors, springs secured to said support means in a manner to permit the tilting thereof, and endless belts connecting said motors to said wheels whereby said wheels are individually driven, said wheels being of such weight as to produce a flywheel effect.

20. The combination With a forging hammer of the type having a frame and driving wheels one on each of opposite sides of said frame in out-of-aligned relation to each other, a pair of motors one for driving each said wheel, springbiased mounting means at the top of the hammer for supporting said motors, and endless belts connecting said motors to said wheels whereby said wheels are independently driven.

21. The combination with a forging hammer of the type having a frame and driving wheels one on each of opposite sides of said frame in out-of-aligned relation to each other, a pair of motors one for driving each said wheel, spring biased mounting means at the top of the hammer for supporting said motors, and endless belts connecting said motors to said wheels whereby said wheels are independently driven, said wheels being of such weight as to produce a flywheel effect.

22. The combination with a forging hammer of the type having a frame and having wheels one on each of opposite sides of said frame in outof-aligned relationship to each other, apair of motors, tiltable support means at the top of said hammer for said motors, springs along the tiltable edge of said supporting means disposed above and below thereof for permitting the upward and downward tilting of said means, and endless belts connecting said motors to said wheels for individually driving said wheels by said motors.

23. The combination with a forging hammer of the type having a frame and having wheels one on each of opposite sides of said frame in out-of-aligned relationship to each other, a pair of motors, tiltable support mean at the top of said hammer for said motors, springs along the tiltable edge of said supporting means disposed above and below thereof for permitting the upward and downward tilting of said means, and endless belts connecting said motors to said wheels for individually driving said wheels by said motors, said wheels being of such weight as to produce a flywheel effect.

THOMAS W. I-IOWLETT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 356,670 Torrey Jan. 25, 1887 1,455,345 Maimin May 15, 1923 1,798,309 Criley 'Mar. 31, 1931 1,954,157 Vlchek Apr. 10, 1934 

